‘Hypochondriac’ fills the prescription for old-school French farce

Burbage updates Moliere comedy

PAWTUCKET – “The Hypochondriac, or the Imaginary Invalid” may have premiered 345 years ago, but it still makes points relevant to today.

Penned by Moliere, the master of the French farce, the play lampoons hypochondriacs and quacks who prey on them. It is rife with pointed observations, such as the one about a “doctor” who prefers to treat common people rather than the upper classes who demand more accountability.

Over the years, the premise has taken on a metaphorical aspect that gives it broader interpretation, such as the one Burbage’s artistic director, Jeff Church, takes.

“This play shows us the grim and all-too-timely prospect that good liars could rule the world as long as they continue to tell the lies we want to hear,” he writes in the program. Touché.

But don’t get all serious; this is farce, and it’s filled with exaggerated characters. Argan is the title character, the man who opens the play with a recitation of treatments for his maladies, including a concoction to “moisten and soften the bowels,” which he thinks he can’t live without but fumes about the price. As Argan, F. William Oakes sets the tone with his enthusiasm for the potions and his indignation at the expense.

A number of so-called doctors come calling with preposterous remedies, most notably Dr. Diafoirus, well played with sweeping pretension by Marilyn Busch. But quacks aren’t enough to carry the play, so there are subplots about Argan’s efforts to marry his daughter, Angelique, to Diafoirus’ dull son, Thomas. It’s a match that pleases Argan, who gets a doctor as a member of the family, but appalls Angelique. There also is a domineering second wife, Beline, who feigns concern for her husband but primarily is interested in his money.

The people who have Argan’s best interests at heart are Toinette, his patient servant; daughters Angelique and Louison; and Beralde, Argan’s brother, one of the few characters motivated by common sense. Together, they conspire to put everything right, including “curing Argan with the truth.”

The play shows its age in the slow first act. Director Wendy Overly and her cast work hard at creating outrageous characters and situations, but the silliness wears thin.

The second act picks up steam, propelled largely by the energy and attitude Valerie Westgate brings to the role of Beralde, whose sensibility and skepticism are a welcome contrast to the farcical characters. It’s also now that Clare Blackmer comes to life as Toinette, the faithful servant who masterminds the plots to save both Argan’s health and Angelique’s happiness. Gabrielle McCauley and Kelly Robertson are entertaining as sisters Angelique and Louison, respectively.

I found the sarcasm funnier than the farce in this production, like the observation that Argan was happiest when he was told – a couple years ago – that he had six months to live.

That humor, along with attractive costumes and a minimal but creative set anchored by an elaborate, old desk, add to the production. Music and dance were part of the 17th century work, and a masked ball, in particular, is a colorful touch in this iteration.

Performances of “The Hypochondriac, or The Imaginary Invalid” continue Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., through Dec. 2 at Burbage Theatre, 249 Roosevelt Ave. Tickets are $25 general admission, $15 students, and available online at www.burbagetheatre.org. For information, email info@burbagetheatre.org or leave a message at (401) 484-0355.